In general, a seat belt for a vehicle includes a seat belt, a webbing, a retractor, a D-ring, a tongue, and a buckle.
Functions of main components of the seat belt for a vehicle are as follows:
The webbing surrounds the body of a passenger.
The retractor allows the webbing to be tightly strained and in addition, winds a surplus portion of the webbing to keep the surplus portion.
The D-ring is installed in the vehicle to guide the webbing toward the shoulder of a passenger.
The tongue may fix the webbing.
The buckle is fixed to one side of the seat of the vehicle to detachably support the tongue.
Recently, the webbing of the seat belt for a vehicle is configured in a shape of an inflatable bag, and the inflatable belt for a vehicle, in which the inflator is installed to one end of the webbing, is actually applied to a vehicle.
If the inflator is activated by an actuation signal of an ECU (Electric Control Unit) or an IBCU (Inflatable Belt Control Unit) when a vehicle accident occurs, the inflatable belt for a vehicle allows the inflator to generate a high-pressure gas, so that the deflated webbing is inflated by the high-pressure gas.
Thus, the inflatable belt for a vehicle may provide a wearer with a higher level of safety than a seat belt for a vehicle, a webbing of which is not inflated. The basic configuration and operation of the inflatable belt for a vehicle are disclosed in Korean patent publication Nos. 10-1995-0023558 (Published on Aug. 18, 1995) and 10-2012-0041507 (Published on May 2, 2012).
Meanwhile, the inflatable belt for a vehicle includes all main components of the seat belt for a vehicle described above, and further includes an inflator for generating a high-pressure gas which is supplied into the webbing.
The present invention relates to an effective installation of a D-ring which guides a webbing drawn from a retractor of the inflatable belt for a vehicle toward a passenger.
A seat belt for a vehicle is disclosed in Korean unexamined patent publication No. 10-2006-0025394 (Published on Mar. 21, 2006) and an apparatus for guiding a seat belt for a vehicle is disclosed in Korean unexamined patent publication No. 10-2006-0069669 (Published on Jun. 22, 2006).
The D-ring of the seat belt for a vehicle disclosed in Korean unexamined patent publication No. 10-2006-0025394 (Published on Mar. 21, 2006) is connected to a height control apparatus and can move upward and downward.
Thus, according to Korean unexamined patent publication No. 10-2006-0025394, the passenger adjusts the height of the D-ring according the body shape of the passage to effectively wear the webbing.
The D-ring of the seat belt for a vehicle disclosed in Korean unexamined patent publication No. 10-2006-0069669 is freely rotated in left and right directions with respect to a bracket fixed to a pillar of a vehicle.
Thus, according to Korean unexamined patent publication No. 10-2006-0069669, while the D-ring of the seat belt for a vehicle is rotated at a suitable angle according to a passenger's body shape, the D-ring changes the withdrawing direction of the webbing so that effective wear of the webbing may be expected.